Checklist: How to Efficiently Review a Resume

Experienced recruiters can quickly sift through a stack of resumes, pull pertinent information, and select top candidates without breaking a sweat. This task is not as simple for the small business owner or manager with little resume reading experience.

If you are tasked with the job of selecting top candidates from pile of resumes, use this resume checklist to make efficient use of your time:

Your Resume Checklist

Skip over the applicant's name and address – this will help limit any subconscious biases

Check work history for applicability to the position at hand

Review tenure and the applicant’s career path

Check educational background for job requirements, if any

Look for special skills or certifications

Take note of any spelling errors or sloppy formatting – they say a lot about the applicant’s attention to detail

Make a note of questions that come to mind so that they can be addressed during an interview

Divide resumes into three piles - one for those that closely match job requirements, one for those who meet some requirements, and one for those who do not meet any requirements

Review the top group again and, if necessary, further narrow down the candidates

Begin the interview process!

Overall, look for candidates that effectively share what they’ve done in the past and where they want to go next. This is also a good time to “listen to your gut” – if you get a good feeling about a candidate, consider an interview!

If you need help finding the perfect candidate for a job, let's talk! When you partner with us, we do the resume sifting for you – and only share top candidates with you to review.